Lab #9: Absolute Extrema
The goal of this lab is for you to:
- understand how MuPAD can help us find absolute extrema of a difficult function.
After completing the lab, you should be able to:
- use MuPAD to find the absolute extrema of a function on an interval.
Ready for Lab (10 pts)
Watch Sal Kahn’s Video. Then
- Use what you’ve learned in the video to write out the steps for finding the absolute maxima and minima on the interval $[0,2]$ of the function $f(x)=2x^3+x^2-4$.
- What example does Kahn start working toward the end of the video segment?
In the Lab (80 pts)
Your goal in the lab is to walk through the lab with your classmates, focus on understanding the mathematics and computer code, and complete the Comprehension Checks and Putting it All Together tasks. You may need to work outside of class to complete the tasks.
- Lab 9: Absolute Extrema (MuPAD file, right-click Save As…)
- Lab 9: Absolute Extrema (PDF, better for reading/printing)
After the Lab (10 pts)
For this lab, you can earn 10 points by doing the following:
- Add a paragraph or two titled “Summary and Conclusions” to the bottom of the file with information about (1) what you learned in this lab, (2) obstacles you ran into during the assignment, and (3) how the math in this lab connects to things you’ve learned in this or other math classes. Be specific and complete, and use full sentences.
- Insert your name, the date, and the name of your instructor into the top of the file.
- Save As… YourName-Lab-X-InstructorName.mn
- Export to a file named YourName-Lab-X-InstructorName.pdf
- Submit the .mn and .pdf files through Blackboard.
Lab adapted from Dr. P.D. McCray, Illinois Institute of Technology.
